Pump



Nov. 24, 1925.y

R. R. CRU M PUMP Filed Ausl, 18 1923 4 Sheds-Sheet l .llllllllllllllllilIllllilll1.- 0.4.1 JIJ R. R. CRUM Nov. 24, 1925 PUMP Filed Aug. 18 19235 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. R. CRUM Nov. 24., 1925' PUMP Filed Aug. 18 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

fum-Tao STATES PATENT oFFlcrE.;

BOLANDB. CRUE, 0F WHIT-TIER, CALIFORNIA,'ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT lAND HESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TQ L'& B PRODUCING & DRILLING C0., A CORPORATION.

. PUMP.

Application filed August 18, 1923. 'Serial No. 658,054.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be lit known that I, ROLAND R. (RUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Whittier, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented a new and useful Pump, of which `the following 1s a specification.

My 'invention relates to pumps, and while it may be applied to pumps'used for many purposes, it is .peculiarly applicable to o1l well pumps. In the pumping of oil wells, it is standard practice to suspend a pump barrel at the lower -end of a string of tublng which extends down into the Well. A plunger is reciprocated in the pump barrel by a wire rope, or preferably by sucler rods, the wire rope or sucker rods belng connected to suitable means on the surface -of the ground for reciprocating the same. In the case of widely scattered or deep wells, a motor or engine is ordinarily pro`- vided at the well, this motor or engine being usually situated outside the derrick and operating the wire rope or ,sucker rods through suitable mechanism; The cost of maintaining individual engines or motors at the different wells is considerable, and the cost of distributing power to these different prime movers is also considerable. In cases where the power to be usedr at each well is small. as for example in shallow wells, or in old fields Where the production is small,

4 it is common practice to pump a number of wells from a single prime mover, which is located at some central point, and from4 which power is carried to the wells through wire ropes extending to the different wells above t e surface of the ground and parallel thereto. This system is termed pumping by jacks and is in quite general use, saving large quantities of power.

It is an object of my invention to provide means by which a plurality of wells may be pumped from a central point without the necessity forany moving mechanism between the power plant and the well. The use of wire rope in actuating pump barrels is extremely limited'and practically all wells are now pumped through sucker rods. In the case of all wells except very shallow ones, the sucker rods are formed of steel rods having threaded connections. These rods are expensive and since they are recipi'ocated continuously inside the tubing, there is considerable wear thereon, so that the cost of 11p-keep is considerable. In deep wells, considerable trouble is experienced with rod Abreakage and any-such breakage is expensive since it involves a shut down of the well and amore or lessprotracted fishing job. A'

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for actuating the pump in a well without the use of sucker rods, wire lines, or other mechanical connections between the pump plunger and the surface of the ground. These objects I accomplish by the use of fluid under pressure as the actuating medium. This fluid under pressure may be compressed air or gas, or it may be oil of the same general character as that produced by the well. The term fluid as used hereinafter' should be understood to include all gases and liquids. In the description we will, however, refer to the use of oil in this connection for simplicity in description. ,y

The oil under pressure may be supplied froma central pumping plant, through suitable pipe lines to a plurality of Wells, this fluid being forced downwardly through a pressure pipe to the bottom of the well, where it actuates a'fluid motor, this motor being of the reciprocating type, and being utilized to actuate the pump plunger situ' ated adjacent thereto. The pump draws oil from the well and delivers this oil with the exhaust from the fluid motor to the interior of the tubing, through which the pumped oil and the exhaust oil from the fluid motor is delivcred'to the surface of the ground, and through suitable piping to storage.

Further objects and advantages will beset forth more in detail hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view section of a pump embodying my invention applied to an oil well.

partly lin by the line 6-6 of Fig.

` Fig. 2 isa section through the upper-end4 showing the method of of the luid'motor, connecting the' pressure pipe.

Fig. 3 is a` section on a plane indicated by the line 3-.3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on a plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. l

Fig. 5 is a section through the upper part of the fluid motor showing the piston valve. Fig. 6 is a section on a' plane represented Fig. 7 is a section on a plane represented by the line 7-7` of Fig. 5. l

Fig. 8 is a section on a-plane represented by the lines 8 8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a section on a plane represented by the line 9-9 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 `is a section yon a plane represented by the line 10-10 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 11 is a section on a plane represented by the line 11j-11 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 12 is a section of the same portion of the pump as shown in Fig. 5, but taken .at right angles thereto.

Fig. 13 1s a section on a plane represented by the linev 13k13 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 isa section on a plane represented by the line 14-14 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is a section on a plane represented by the line 15-15 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 16 is a section joined directly to the section shown in Fig. 5, showing further details of the fluid motor.

Fig. 17 is a view of the same apparatus 0n a section at right angles to Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a sectional view'of the' deep well pump.

It should be understood that Figs. 2, 5, 16 and 18 form a single series when joined together in the order named from top to bottom, as do also Figs. 12 and 17.

The method of installing my invention in a well is illustrated in Fig. 1` in which 21 is a. dei-rick, and 22 is the casing of the oil well, this casing extending down into the oil sands .23. Suspended on a string of tubing 24 is a fluid motor 25 and a deep well pump 26. The tubing 24 extends upwardly through the well, being supported iu a casing head 27 and being connected through a pipe 28 with suitable storage.

A pressure pipe 30 extends downwardly through the tubing 2,4, being suspended inside the tubing, a stuffing box 31, being provided at the top of the well between the pressure pipe 30 and the tubing 24. The pressure pipe 30 is connected through a pipe 32 with a pressure pump 33, which may be driven by steam or by 'a gas engine, or by an electrical motor. The pressure pump 33 may be placed in, or close to the derrick 21, or it may be located at some centralpoint and utilized to pump a number of wells. The pressure from the pump 33 is used to 4the tubing is in the casing head 27, and the pressure pipe actuate the fluid motor, which in turnA actuates. the deep well pump V26.

The exact details of construction of the motor and pump 26 will from the following description. l

Secured on the lower end of the tubing 24 by means of a collar 35 is an anchor head 36, this anchor head having an exhaust passage 37 therethrough, and having a -conical opening in which a conical plug 38 is adapted t0 seat in fluid-tight relationship. The g plug 38 is secured to the end of the presssure' string by means of a collar 39. A bleeder ope-ning is provided in the anchor head, this opening being closed by the plug 38 when the pressure pipe 30 is in place, but beingopen whenever the pressure pipe is pulled upwardly so` that the plug 38 is lifted.

In installin the apparatus in the well, rst put in place and secured 30 is then installed, being lowered into the tubing, joint by joint, until the plug 38 seats in the conical head 36, the ordinary lifting apparatus in the derrick 21 being utilized to install and remove both the tubing 24 and the pressure pipe 30.

The object of the bleeder opening 40 is to allow the tubing 24 to be drained whenever the pressure pipe 30 is withdrawn, so that in .raising the tubing and pump for repairs it 1s unnecessary to also .raise the oil in the tubing.- It should be understood that if the tubingis pulled from the well when full of oil, that each joint as disconnected at the surface of the ground will discharge the oil, thus making what is' known as a wet job. The bleeder opening 40 prevents this, as the tubing readily drains as it is withdrawn.

With the pressure pipe 30 in place,`oi1 pressure is delivered through a screen into a pressure pipe 51, which extends down and is secured in a member 52 forming. a part of the casing 53, which is secured by means of a collar 54 to the anchor head 36. The member 52 is secured by a. collar 55 to an upper stuiing box barrel 60. The upper stuiiing box barrel is secured by means of a collar 61 to a piston valve barrel 62, which is secured by means'of a collar 63 to a lower stuliing box barrel 64. The lower stuffing box barrel 64 is connected by a collar 65 with a motor barrel 66, the lower end of this barrel being threaded in a packer section' 67, which in turn is threaded on a pump barrel 68. The pump barrel 68 is threaded in a collar 69, whichv carries a nipple 70 in which a standing valve seat 71 is secured.

Sliding in the piston valve barrel is a be understood through the iston valve barrel is an upper tubel 81 whicll extends down and is secured to a motor plunger 82 sliding in the motor barrel 66. The motor plunger 82 is also provided with a lower tube 83, which extends downwardly and connects into a working valve seat 84, carried on the top of a pump plunger 85, which slides in the pum barrel 68. The tubes 83 and 81 are hollow and are in open con'miunication with each other through an opening in the motor plunger 82, so that fluid which passes through the working valve seat 84 of the plunger 85 has an open passage upwardly through the tubes 83 and 81 and the motor plunger 82 into the interior ot' the member 53, and, from the member 53 through the exhaust passage 37 into the space inside the tubing 24, and outside the pressure pipe 30. The pump operates in the usual manner, the plunger 85 being raised and lowered vby the tube 83, thus lifting the oil through a standing valve 90, having a ball valve 91 therein, by means of the working valve 84 and an auxiliary working valve 92. On the down stroke, balls 93 and 94 are lifted, the oil flowing upwardly past these balls and upwardly through the members 83, 82 and 81 into the interior of the member 53.

The operation of the pump is exactly similar tothe ordinary pump in 'so far as raising oil through the tubing 24 is concerned. The pump is, however, actuated by the fluid mo- .tor 25 which in turn is actuated by the fluid under pressure delivered through the pressure pipe 30. This fluid under pressure is deliveredthrough the pipe 51 to a pressure passage 100, which extends downwardly through the members 60, 62 and 64, and which is provided with ports 101, 102 and 103. The interior of the member 53 is also connected to an exhaust passage 105 which extends downwardly through the members GO and 62, and which is provided with ports 106 and 107. Packing 110 is provided around the tube 81 inside the member 60 and around the tube 81 inside the member 64. Packing is also provided around the tube 83 inside the member 67.

The motor plunger 82 is vsupplied withVA upwardly through the members 64 and 62 and is provided with ports 119 and 120. The application of pressure to the plunger 82 through the passage 115 raises the plungers 82 and 85, and the application of' pressure through the plassage i 116 forces these plungers downwar y. v

This pressure is applied to either passage by means of the, piston valve 80. With the piston valve in its lower position, fluid under pressure is taken from the passage 100 through the' port 102,V and is delivered throigh the port 118 to the `passage 115.V The uid so delivered passes into the motor and at the same time the exhaust fluid from above the motor plunger 82 passes upwardly through the passage 116 and through the ports 120 and 107 and upwardly through the exhaust 105 into the interior of the member 53.

The plungers 82 and 85 are forced downwardly whenever the piston valve 80 is in its extreme upper position. In this position pressure 1s taken through the'port 102 from the .passage 100 and is delivered through the port 119 into the passage 116. This applies. pressure to the top of the plunger 82, the exhaust from below this plunger passing upwardly through the passage 115 and being delivered through the ports 117 and 106 tothe exhaust passage 105. In other words, when the piston valve is in its lower position, pressure is applied to the p barrel 66 below the plunger 82,.,lifting same, v

plungers to lift them, and when the piston valve 80 is in its upper position, pressure is applied to the plungers to force them downwardly.

The piston valve 80 is itself operated by fluid pressure in the following manner:

Formed in the tube 81 as shown in Fig. 2, is a longitudinal channel 130 communieating with grooves 131 and 132. Similarly on the lower end of the tube 81 there is a longitudinal channel 140 having grooves 141 and 142 as sho-wn in Fig. 16. Opening through the tube 81 between, the grooves 141 and 131 are openings 150 as shown in Fig. 12. The tube 81 is rigidly connected to the motor plunger 82 and moves therewith. As the motor plunger approaches its upper position, the grooves 141 and 142 register with the port 103 in the pressure passage 100 and with a port 145 shown in Fig. 16 in a passage 146, which communicates with the bottom of the plunger valve barrel below the piston valve 80, as shown in Fig. Pressure is therefore exerted to lift the pis-4 ton valve 80l The upper end of the piston valve barrel communicates as shown in Fig. 12 through a port 161 with a passage 1GO, havin ports 162 and 163. At the same time t at the groove 141 registers with the port 103, as 'just described the openings 150 register with the port162.y thus providing an open communication from the top of the plunger valve barrel above the piston valve- 80 through the port-161, the passage 160, the port 162 and the hole 150, with the interior of the pipe 81. This allows the 'fluid to flow from above the piston valve, into the interior of the tube 81 and the piston valve can move upwardly. -When the plungcrs 82 and 85 approach the lower end of their stroke, the grooves 131 and 132 come into action, the groove 131 registering with the port 163 and the groove 132 registering with the port 101. This allows fluid under pressure from the pressure passage 100 to How through the port 101 through the groove 130 and through' the port 162 into the passage 160. and from this passage through the' yport 161 into the space above the piston valve 80. This tends to force the piston valve downwardly.

The method of operation is therefore as follows:

7ith thc parts in the position shown in the 'drawing` the motor piston 82 is being :forced upwardly, lifting the oil by mea-ns of the pump plunger 85. As soon as theports 141 and 142 register properly with the ports 103 and 145. which will be at or near the extreme top of the plunger stroke, pressure is applied to the bottom of the piston valve 80 as has previously been explained, and the piston valve is lifted, the iiluid'from above the piston valve 80 being exhausted'through the openings 150 as previously described.

""Ihe piston valve 80 is therefore moved upwardly and the connection of the iiuid pressure to the motor piston` 82 is reversed, so that pressure is delivered to the motor piston tending to force it downwardly. W'herl the moto-r piston reaches the bottom of its stroke, the grooves 131 and 1,82 come into play, pressure being applied to the top ot the piston valve 80 to force it downwardly.

Summing the whole operation up, it will be seen that the movement of the plunger 82is controlled by the piston valve 80, the.

plunger moving upwardly when the piston valve is down. and downwardly when the piston valve is up. The piston valve is shifted Jfrom its up to its Idown position by the grooves 131 and 132, and the grooves 141 and 142 acting'in conjunction with the holes 150. It may be explained thatthe hole 150 is so situated that when the plungers are in their extreme lower position, it communicates with the port 260 connecting to the passage 146, thus placing the lower end of the piston valve barrel in open communication with the interior of the tube 81 through the passageg146, the port 160 and the holes 150. It will/be seen that the pressure delivered through the pressure pipe 30 is thus utilized to reciprocate the plungers 82 and 85, and to shift the piston valve 8() up and down at the end of the plunger stroke to reverse the direction of the application of the fluid pressure to the plunger.

`By the use of my invention, it is possible to entirely dispense with the ordinary sucker rods, and it is further possible to pump a large number of wells by simply piping fluid under pressure from a central pressure pump system to the individual wells. the use of my invention the wear and tear of the pump rods is done away with: and the great expense due to breakage of the pump rods is also done away with. It is further possible to operate my ump at a ymuch higher number of strokes t an 1s possible through sucker rod-s, so that larger quantities of oil may be pumped from the well than has heretofore been considered possible;

While I have shown and described my inventlon as applied to an oil well pump, it should be understood that this invention is applicable to all sorts of pumps. It is further to be understood that'in some cases, it is preferable to use compressed air as a motive power, this air owing downwardly through the pressure pipe 30, actuating the fluid motor 25 and then being mixed lwith the upwardly flowing stream of oil, so that its lifting power can be utilized therein. While I have shown and v'described apreferred embodiment of my invention, it should be distinctly understood that this is for illustrative purposes only, the scope of my invention being limited by the annexed claims. i

I claim as my invention:

1. In pumping equipment, the combination of: tubing arranged 'to extend within a well; pump mechanism secured to the lower end of said tubing: a fiuid motor adapted to be operated in all phases of motion by fluid Linder pressure, Said motor being associated with said pump mechanism; a fluid pressure pipe extending downwardly within said tubing; and means for delivering the discharge of said pump mechanism into the space between said tubing and said pressure pipe wherein said discharge is conducted to the ground surface.

2. In pumping equipment, the combination of: tubing arranged to extend within a well; pump mechanism secured to the lower end of said tubing; a fiuid motor adapted to be operated in all phases of motion by fluid under pressure, said motor being associated with said pump mechanism; a Huid pressure pipe extending downwardly within said tubing; and means for delivering the discharge of said pump mechanism and the exhaust of said motor into the space between said tubing and said pressure pipe wherein said discharge and said exhaust are conducted to the ground surface.

3. In pumping equipment, the combination of: tubing arranged to extend within a well; pump mechanism secured to the lower end of said tubing;a fluid motor adapted to be operated in all phases of motion by Huid under pressure, said motor being associated with said pump mechanism; a fluid pressure pipe extending downwardly within said tubing; a fluid actuated valve for Pipe Lacasse said fluid motor; valve means actuated in consequence of the piston of said fluid motor reaching its extreme positions for controlling the flow of fluid for actuating said valve for said motor; and means for delivering the discharge of said pump mechanism into the space between said tubing and said pressure pipe wherein said discharge is conducted to the ground surface. i

4. In pumping equipment, the combination of: tubing arranged to exten-il within a well; pump mechanism secured to the lower end of said tubing; a fluid motor associated with said pump mechanism; a fluid pressure pipe extending downwardly within saidY tubing; a piston valve for said fluid motor, said piston valve having an up and a down position whereby fluid from said pressure ipe is delivered to propeltlie piston of said uid motor upwardly and downwardly; valve means functioning, when said piston of said motor is in extreme positions, to deliver fluid under pressure for moving said piston valve between up and down positions; and means for delivering the discharge of said pump mechanism into the space between said tubing and said pressure pipe wherein said discharge is conducted to the ground surface.

5. In pumping equipment, the combination of: tubing arranged to extend within awell; pump mechanism secured to the lower end of said tubing; a fluid motor associated with said pump mechanism; a fluid pressure pipe extending downwardly with'- iii said tubmg; a fluid actuated valve for said fluidmotor; and valve means actuated inconsequence ofthe piston of saidflud motor reaching its extreme positions for controlling the flow of fluid for actuating said valve for said motor. l

6. In pumping equipment, the combination of: tubing arranged to extend within a well; pum i mechanism secured to the lower end of sai( tubing; a fluid motor associated with said pump mechanism; a fluid pressure pipe extending downwardly within Said tubing; a piston valve for said fluid motor, said piston valve having an up and a down position whereby fluid from said pressure ipe is delivered to ropel the iston of said uid motor upwardly and ownwardl and valve means functioning, when sai piston of said motor is in extreme positions, to deliver fluid under pressure for moving said piston valve between up and down posi-` tions. i

7. In pumping equipment, the combination of: tubing arranged to extend within a well; pump mechanism secured to the lower end o said tubing; a fluid motor associated with said pump mechanism; a. fluid pressure extending downwardly from the ground surface to said fluid motor; means said Atrol the flow of fluid for motivating said pistion of; tubing arranged to extend within a well; pump mechanism secured to the lower end of said tubing; l" fluid motor associated with said pump mechanism; a fluid pressure pipe extending downwardly from the ground surface to said fluid motor; means for delivering fluid under pressure to said pressure pipe; a piston valve for said fluid motor, said piston valve having an up and a down position whereby fluid from said pressure pipe is delivered to propel the piston of said fluid motor upwardly and downwardly; and valve means functioning, when said piston of said motor is in extreme posi* tions, to deliver fluid under pressure for moving said piston valve between up and down positions.

9. In pumping equipment, the combination of: a cylinder of tubular characteristics; a piston operatable in said cylinder; a hollowrod extending through and secured to said piston; a valve barrel adjacent to and in alignment with said cylinder, said hollow rod extending through said valve barrel; and a piston valve in said valve barrel, said piston valve being slidably mounted on said hollow rod and being ai'- ranged to control the flow of fluid for motivating said piston, said hollow rod having channels formed therein for permitting a flow of fluid to the opposite ends of said piston valve when said piston reaches its extreme positions.

10. In pumping equipment, the combination of: a cylinder of tubular characteristics; a piston operatable in said cylinder? a hollow rod extending through and secured to said piston; a valve barrel adjacent to and in alignment with said cylinder, said hollow rod extending throu h said valve barrel; a piston valve in sai valve barrel, said iston valve being slidably mounted on liollow rod and being arranged to conton, said' hollow rod having channels formed therein for permitting a flow of fluid to the opposite ends of said piston valve when said piston reaches its extreme positions; andpump structure at the end of said hollow rod op osite to said piston valve, arranged to deliver liquid through said hollow rod.

In testimon whereof, I have hereunto set my hand atv 9th day of August, 1923.

- ROLAND R. CRUM.

s Angeles, California, '7. 

